Shell Biodiversity Workshops

Meridian Senior Partner John Ehrmann was asked by Shell International to speak at the first of three Shell-sponsored biodiversity workshops in London about lessons learned from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Ehrmann and Meridian Senior Mediator Sarah Walen also facilitated the two workshops that followed: the first with external stakeholders and the second with Shell personnel.

The purposes of the workshops were to share current thinking and future emerging issues about biodiversity in an open forum; explore how businesses and biodiversity partnerships can deliver benefits; review Shell’s progress in applying its “biodiversity standard” and discuss future challenges and opportunities; and develop a biodiversity action plan for Shell for the next five years.

Participation differed for each workshop, but included a total of more than 150 individuals representing conservation organizations, development agencies, the business community, academia, Shell investors, Shell staff, and government agencies. The internal Shell workshop resulted in the development of the key elements and focus of Shell’s next five-year biodiversity plan.